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On Behalf of 
Pennsylvania Society 



Sons of the American Revolution 


-BY- 

EUGENE C. BONNIWELL 

Judge of the Municipal Court 
Philadelphia 

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-BY- 

EUGENE C. BONNIWELL 

Judge of the Municipal Court 
Philadelphia 





Copyright 1917 
By Eugene C. Bonniwell 

Gift 
Author 
j,\N 31 #20 



Introduction. 


MISAPPREHENSION—and, indeed, in 



only too many instances, a total lack of 


knowledge—of the necessary procedure in 
the process of naturalization, have been so mani¬ 
fest among aliens in this country as to prompt 
the author to a compilation of this little volume. 
It does not go exhaustively into the subject of 
Naturalization, nor has any attempt been made 
to treat the topic from a legal standpoint. Its 
purpose is rather to present to intending citizens 
of the United States a simple study of the vari¬ 
ous steps required of them in attaining their cit¬ 
izenship, and to facilitate their approach to the 
goal which will confer upon them the highest 
dignity that a self-respecting man can attain; 
namely, American citizenship. 

If the fortunate possessor of that certificate of 
character, having attained this goal, will bear in 
mind that the freedom of America was only ob¬ 
tained by the most heroic sacrifice on the part of 
the founders of this Nation, and will endeavor to 
exercise the great privilege of voting conferred 
upon him in such manner as will conserve the 
liberties so hardly earned and so generously be¬ 
stowed upon him, he will in some degree repay to 


3 



the unselfish founders of the United States the 
debt which the world owes to them. 

To the aliens of Philadelphia who desire to be¬ 
come citizens of our great Republic, the author 
will be pleased at any time to extend his assist¬ 
ance and the courtesies of his office. 

EUGENE C. BONNIWELL. 


Room 690 City Hall, 
Philadelphia. 
March 15, 1917 


4 


Citizenship and Its Advantages 

ITIZENSHIP is the right of an individual 
to participate in the government of the 



community of which he is a resident; to 
hold such offices as are within the gift of 
the people, and to vote for public officers and 
upon measures and questions of public interest. 

In our country two classes of citizenship pre¬ 
vail—state and national; but aside from this dis¬ 
tinction, the citizens of the United States are not 
classified as to rights and privileges, regardless 
of whether they are native-born or naturalized 
citizens. Each has at home the same privileges 
and immunities, and abroad and on the high seas, 
the same degree of protection is afiforded the one 
as the other. 

The distinction between state and national cit¬ 
izenship is that a person may be a citizen of the 
United States, and yet be deprived of the rights 
and privileges of state citizenship; and vice versa. 
State citizenship is dependent upon residence 
within the particular state; while national citi¬ 
zenship requires only that the person be born or 
naturalized in the United States. The right to 
vote is not conferred by United States citizenship, 
but is regulated by the laws of the various states, 
many of the latter having granted the franchise 
to persons not citizens. 

Aside from electoral and other privileges, the 
citizen of the United States enjoys many other 


5 


substantial advantages which are not open to the 
alien. One of his great privileges is to demand 
the care and protection of his government over 
his life, liberty and property while he is within the 
jurisdiction of a foreign power, or travelling 
upon the high seas. This is a privilege accorded 
not only to native-born citizens, but to naturalized 
citizens as well, in accordance with Section 2000 
of the Laws of the United States relating to Cit¬ 
izenship and Naturalization: “All naturalized cit¬ 
izens of the United States, while in foreign coun¬ 
tries, are entitled to, and shall receive from this 
government, the same protection of person and 
property which is accorded to native-born cit¬ 
izens.” 

The alien is some times severely handicapped 
in procuring employment in this country, and is 
confronted with restrictions which only the ac¬ 
quisition of citizenship can remove. In the mun¬ 
icipal, state and federal civil service departments, 
only citizens are eligible for appointment to the 
many thousands of remunerative positions in that 
branch of our government. 

Alien labor upon public works is prohibited in 
many states, among them Pennsylvania. A con¬ 
siderable number of railroads and other corpora¬ 
tions throughout the country will give employ¬ 
ment only to citizens, or to aliens who have de¬ 
clared their intention to become citizens. The 
alien who has learned a trade may, in some in¬ 
stances, be barred from membership in a trade 
union in this country until he becomes natural¬ 
ized. 

Moreover, a citizen commands respect in his 

6 


community. He is possessed of a sense of satis¬ 
faction that he is part and parcel of the govern¬ 
ment under which he lives, and that he has a 
voice, no matter how small, in the making of the 
laws by which he is governed, and in the selec¬ 
tion of public officers to execute those laws. 

Naturalization 

Naturalization is the process by which an alien 
is made a citizen of the United States—the act 
of adopting a foreigner and granting him all the 
privileges which a native-born citizen enjoys. 

The only disability suffered by a naturalized 
citizen of the United States is that he is ineligible 
to become President or Vice-President. 

The laws of the country of which the appli¬ 
cant for citizenship may at the time be a subject, 
or the fact that he may have quitted it without 
leave, or without the observation of the necessary 
formalities (excepting, of course, if he is a fugi¬ 
tive from justice), will have no effect upon his 
application for citizenship in the United States. 

Who May be Naturalized 

Naturalization in the United States is limited 
to free white persons, aliens of African nativity, 
and persons of African descent. 

Who May Not Become Citizens 

“No person who disbelieves in or who is op¬ 
posed to organized government, or who is a mem¬ 
ber of or affiliated with any organization enter¬ 
taining and teaching such disbelief in or opposi- 

7 


tion to organized government, or who advocates 
or teaches the duty, necessity, or propriety of the 
unlawful assaulting or killing of any officer or 
officers, either of specific individuals or of offi¬ 
cers generally, of the Government of the United 
States, or of any other organized government, 
because of his or their official character, or who 
is a polygamist, shall be naturalized or be made 
a citizen of the United States.” 

In addition to these restrictions, it is provided 
in the Act of June 29, 1906 (Sec. 8) that “no 
alien shall hereafter be naturalized or admitted 
a citizen of the United States who can not speak 
the English language/’ unless physically unable 
to do so, or unless the applicant for citizenship 
intends to make homestead entries upon the pub¬ 
lic lands of the United States. 

How to Proceed 


Declaration of Intention or “First Papers” 

The initial step in the process of naturalization 
is the filing by the applicant of a Declaration of 
Intention, or, as it is popularly called, “first pa¬ 
per.” This declaration may be filed by any 
alien who is eighteen years of age or over, and 
who is in other respects eligible for admission as 
a citizen. It may be filed on the very day of the 
alien’s arrival in the United States. 

If the applicant resides in Philadelphia, he 
may file his application in either the United 
States District Court, Room 313 Post Office 
Building, 9th and Market Streets (which has 
8 



jurisdiction over the Eastern District of Penn¬ 
sylvania), or in the Court of Quarter Sessions, 
Room 292 City Hall, Broad and Market Streets 
(which has jurisdiction over the County of Phil¬ 
adelphia only), between the hours of 9 A. M. and 
12 noon daily, except Saturday. 

Upon application to the Naturalization Clerk 
of either of these courts, a blank entitled “Facts 
for Declaration of Intention” will be furnished 
the applicant. This form may be filled out by 
the applicant in the clerk’s office; or, if the appli¬ 
cant so desires, he may take it home for perusal 
before attempting to answer the questions asked. 
These interrogatories cover the applicant’s true 
name in full; his age, occupation, personal de¬ 
scription (color, complexion, height, weight, 
color of hair, color of eyes, and other visible dis¬ 
tinctive marks) ; date and place of birth; present 
residence; the place of embarkation; the name of 
the vessel; the last place of foreign residence; if 
married, the name, place of birth, and present 
residence of his wife; the name and title of the 
sovereign and the country of which he is a sub¬ 
ject (or, if the applicant is a citizen of a foreign 
Republic, the name of such Republic) ; and the 
date and place of arrival in the United States. 

A fac-simile of the form used for “Facts for 
Declaration of Intention” will be found in the 
appendix hereof, page 25. 

After this blank has been properly filled out 
and handed to the clerk, the latter, after adminis¬ 
tering the oath to the applicant, enters the Dec¬ 
laration of Intention in a book for that purpose. 
9 


The declaration thus entered is signed by the ap¬ 
plicant; although, if he is unable to write his 
name, his mark is sufficient. A copy of the dec¬ 
laration is given to the applicant, who should 
carefully read it to see that it contains no errors. 

This constitutes his “first paper.” It should 
be kept in a safe place, as it is necessary to pre¬ 
sent it in applying for second papers. 

No zvitnesses are necessary in -filing a declara¬ 
tion of intention. It requires very little time to 
file it, usually not more than ten or fifteen min¬ 
utes- 

By his declaration of intention, the alien de¬ 
clares on oath “that it is bona fide his intention to 
become a citizen of the United States, and to re¬ 
nounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any 
foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, 
and particularly, by name, to the prince, poten¬ 
tate, state or sovereignty of which he may be at 
the time a citizen or subject,” 

The filing of a declaration of intention does 
not have the effect of naturalizing the applicant, 
nor does it constitute a renunciation of the de¬ 
clarant’s allegiance to the government of which 
he is a citizen or subject. It is merely an expres¬ 
sion of his intention to become a citizen. He 
may change his mind about becoming a citizen 
after he has filed his declaration, and there is 
nothing to prevent him from abandoning his pur¬ 
pose. The applicant who thus declares his in¬ 
tention, and subsequently returns to the country 
of his origin, retains his original citizenship, the 
same as if he had never filed the declaration. 

10 


Petition for Naturalization or 
“Second Papers” 

Not less than two years nor more than seven 
years after an alien has filed his declaration of 
intention, and when he has resided continuously 
in the United States for at least five years, he may 
present his petition for naturalization, or “second 
papers.” He must, however, have resided at 
least one year immediately prior to the date of 
his application in the state in which such appli¬ 
cation is made, and must have attained the age 
of twetity-one years. 

The lapse of two years between the declaration 
of intention and the petition for naturalization is 
requisite in all cases, no matter how long an 
alien may have resided in this country before de¬ 
claring his intention. Thus, if an alien lives here 
for five years before filing his “first papers,” he 
must continue to reside here two years longer be¬ 
fore he is qualified to take out his “second pap¬ 
ers.” The purpose of this rule is to afford the 
applicant an opportunity to properly fit himself 
for a faithful acceptance of the privileges of cit¬ 
izenship, and to permit of an observation of his 
character and morals by his associates- 

Another time limit set by the Naturalization 
law, and one which is apparently little known or 
understood among aliens, is that a declaration of 
intention, or “first paper,” is valid only seven 
years; that is, the “second papers” must be taken 
out not later than seven years after the date of 
the first papers. If an applicant neglects to file 
his petition for naturalization within that time, 
11 


his declaration of intention is without effect, the 
same as if he had never declared his intention; 
and in order to carry out his intention to be cit- 
izenized, he must begin anew by filing another 
declaration and waiting the required two years 
before taking out second papers. 

This rule d< • r^t apjUs however ^ ° i; ens 
who declan dr intention befi" r 
27, 1906, do ouCii declarations ai a .... . 
time. 

The Naturalization Act of June 29, 1906, has 
made necessary an additional procedure in the 
process of naturalization which was not required 
before its passage. This is the obtaining of a 
“Certificate of Arrival” from the Commissioner 
of Naturalization at Washington, D. C. The ap¬ 
plicant for second or final papers who arrived 
after June 29, 1906, and has completed at least 
five years’ residence in the United States and one 
year in the state where application is made, 
should apply, without zmtnesses, to the Natural¬ 
ization Clerk of the court having competent juris¬ 
diction* (in Philadelphia, at Room 292 City Hall, 
or at Room 313 Post Office Building) for a “Re¬ 
quest for Certificate of Arrival.” This form re¬ 
quires only the signature of the applicant in his 
own handwriting, and his address. (See Appen¬ 
dix, page 26.) 

Attached to this reciuest is a form entitled 
“Facts for Petition for Naturalization.” This 
should be carefully filled out, the information re- 

* Jurisdiction in naturalization cases is confined to U. S. District Courts 
and to State Courts having “a seal, a clerk, and jurisdiction in actions at law 
or equity, or law and equity, in which the amount in controversy is unlimited” 

12 



quired being as follows: The applicant’s full, 
correct name; his present residence and occupa¬ 
tion ; the date and place of his birth; the last place 
of his foreign residence; the date and place of his 
embarkation; the date and port of his arrival; the 
name of the vessel on which he arrived; the name 
of the steamship line owning the vessel; the class 
of passage (first cabin, second cabin, or steer¬ 
age) ; if the alien arrived otherwise than by ves¬ 
sel, the character of conveyance or the name of 
the transportation company; occupation and per¬ 
sonal description (height, complexion, color of 
hair, and color of eyes) at the time of his arrival; 
the name of the person or persons to whom, and 
the city or town and state to which, he was des¬ 
tined; the names of any persons accompanying 
him; the name used on the steamship by the alien 
if he embarked under an assumed name; the date 
of his declaration of intention or first papers; and 
the name and location of the court in which th<* 
declaration was made. 

He must state whether or not he is married; if 
married, he must give the name, place of birth, 
and present residence of his wife. If he has 
children, their names, the dates and places of 
their birth, and their present residence must be 
given. 

The petitioner must further state the name of 
the sovereign and country of which he is a sub¬ 
ject; that he is able to speak the English langu¬ 
age ; the date since which he has resided in the 
United States, and also the date since which he 
has resided in the State in which application for 
citizenship is made. He must state whether or 
13 


not he has theretofore made application for citi¬ 
zenship, and if so, the cause of denial, and that 
the cause of such denial has since been cured or 
removed. 

Then must be inserted the names, occupations, 
and residence addresses of two witnesses, citi¬ 
zens of the United States, who have known the 
applicant for at least five years, and as a resident 
of the State in which the petition is made, for 
one year immediately preceding filing of petition, 
and who will make affidavit that the applicant is 
a person of good moral character, qualified in 
every way to be admitted a citizen. The names 
of these witnesses may be filled in on the blank 
by the applicant, there being no necessity for the 
witnesses to sign in person. 

A fac-simile of the form of “Facts for Petition 
for Naturalization” will be found in the Appen¬ 
dix hereof, page 27. 

Having properly given the information set 
forth above, the applicant is then required to mail 
the form he has filled out, together with his dec¬ 
laration of intention or “first papers /’ to the Com¬ 
missioner of Naturalization, U. S. Department of 
Labor, Washington, D. C. The Commissioner, 
after veryifying the arrival of the applicant in 
this country, will send the required Certificate of 
Arrival* to the Clerk of the court at which the 
applicant received the blank form of “Request 
for Certificate of Arrival,” and will at the same 
time notify the applicant that the certificate has 


* The time required in obtaining this certificate from Washington is usually 
a week to ten days. 

14 



been forwarded to the clerk of the court. He 
will also return to the clerk of the court the ap¬ 
plicant’s declaration of intention and “Facts for 
Petition for Naturalization.” 

The applicant must await this notice from the 
Commissioner of Naturalization, and upon its 
receipt should go to the Naturalization Clerk, 
accompanied, by his two witnesses, to file his Pe¬ 
tition for Naturalization. 

Before filling out the Petition for Naturaliza¬ 
tion, the clerk interrogates the applicant and his 
winesses, under oath, as to whether the condi¬ 
tion of five years’ residence in the United States 
and one year’s residence in the State has been 
fulfilled by the applicant; and if satisfied on that 
point he will proceed to fill out the Petition for 
Naturalization. If the applicant declared his in¬ 
tention subsequent to June 29, 1906, he must 
sign this petition in his own handwriting. The 
witnesses must also sign the petition; but if un¬ 
able to write, their mark is sufficient. This pe¬ 
tition is not given to the applicant, but is retained 
as a court record. 

The time required in filing the petition is usu¬ 
ally not more than half an hour. 

After the petition has been filed, the applicant 
and his witnesses are directed to the office of the 
United States Examiner, Department of Labor, 
in the Post Office Building, who further ques¬ 
tions them in reference to the applicant’s period 
of residence in this country. This completes the 
process of filing the petition, and the applicant 
must await notice to appear in court for a hear¬ 
ing upon his petition. 


15 


The procedure in filing “second papers,” as 
outlined above, applies only to aliens who arrived 
in the United States after June 29, 1906. 

Aliens who arrived on or prior to June 29, 
1906, are not required to obtain a “Certificate of 
Arrival.” In all other respects, however, the 
procedure is the same- The applicant should go 
to the Naturalization Clerk and ask for a blank 
entitled “Facts for Petition for Naturalization.” 
It is advisable for the applicant to secure this 
form several days before he intends to file it, so 
that he can fill it out leisurely at home, thus sav¬ 
ing himself and his witnesses the time and trouble 
incident to filling it out at the Naturalization 
Clerk’s office. If he desires to follow the latter 
course, however, he should familiarize himself 
with the questions he must answer. 

The information that must be given in this 
blank is practically the same as that stated above 
in the case of citizens arriving after June 29, 
1906. (See Appendix, page 29.) 

Hearing in Court 

Not less than ninety days after he has filed his 
petition for Naturalization, the applicant will be 
notified to appear in open court with his wit¬ 
nesses. It is important that he be accompanied 
by the witnesses who were present at the filing of 
his petition. The substitution of witnesses, how¬ 
ever, is permitted where the court is satisfied that 
the original witnesses, by reason of illness, death, 
or unavoidable absence, cannot be present. 

In the event of witnesses neglecting or refus¬ 
ing to come to court, the clerk will, if the 
16 


applicant requests it, issue a subpoena for them 
to appear upon the day set for the final hearing; 
but in case such witnesses cannot be produced, 
other witnesses may be summoned. 

The applicant and his witnesses are brought 
before the presiding judge, who questions the 
applicant to ascertain if he is qualified in every 
way to be admitted to citizenship. 

The applicant must know the Constitution 
of the United States, the Constitution of 
the State in which he resides, the form of 
government in his community, and he ought 
to be generally informed as to the names and 
duties of the chief officers of the Nation, of 
the State, and of his own locality. If he is so 
informed that he can indicate to the court 
that he has a generally intelligent idea of our 
system of government, he will have little diffi¬ 
culty in being admitted to citizenship. 

The witnesses are also interrogated in refer¬ 
ence to the length and places of residence of the 
applicant, and as to his character, habits, and at¬ 
tachment to the principles of the Constitution. 

If the court is satisfied that the applicant has 
resided continuously in the United States for at 
least five years, and in the State not less than one 
year, and that during that time he has behaved 
as a man of good moral character, attached to the 
principles of the Constitution of the United 
States, it will approve the petition and direct 
that the applicant be admitted to citizenship. 

The clerk then administers the oath of allegi¬ 
ance, whereby the applicant declares that he ab- 
solutelv and entirely renonuces and abjures 
' 17 


all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign 
prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and par¬ 
ticularly by name to the prince, potentate, state 
or sovereignty of which he was before a citizen 
or subject; that he will support and defend the 
Constitution and laws of the United States 
against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and 
bear true faith and allegiance to the same.* 

If the applicant has borne any hereditary title, 
or has been of any of the orders of nobility in the 
kingdom or state from which he came, he shall, 
in addition to the oath of allegiance, make an ex¬ 
press renunciation of his title or order of nobility. 

This completes the proceedings, and the newly- 
admitted citizen is given a Certificate of Natural¬ 
ization. (See Appendix, page 32.) 

Duties of Witnesses 

The witnesses play a very important part in 
naturalization proceedings. First of all, they 
must be either native-born or naturalized citizens 
of the United States; and if naturalized citizens, 
they should bring with them their naturalization 
papers. 

Applicants, should endeavor to secure as wit¬ 
nesses persons whose occupation will permit 
them, without inconvenience, to appear in court 
when required. 

Relatives of applicants are not prohibited from 
acting as witnesses in their behalf, except in the 
case of women who believe themselves citizens 


* The full text of the Oath of Allegiance will be found in the Appendix, 
page 31. 

18 



by virtue of birth, but who have married aliens 
and lost their citizenship. 

Witnesses must come prepared to give, under 
oath, both at the filing of the petition and at the 
hearing in court, dates and facts of their associa¬ 
tion with the applicant, such as the length of 
their acquaintance with him, and how frequently 
they have seen him. If a witness has seen the 
applicant only a few times since his arrival in 
this country, he will not be accepted as a compe¬ 
tent witness. It is necessary that the applicant 
and his witnesses should have come into frequent 
contact with each other, either in business or 
private life, otherwise the witnesses could not 
properly testify to the applicant’s character and 
morals, except by hearsay. 

Testimony is required of the witnesses that the 
applicant has resided continuously in the United 
States for five years or more, and in the State 
for one year immediately preceding the date of 
his petition for naturalization. In case the peti¬ 
tioner has not resided in the State for five years 
continuously and immediately preceding the fil¬ 
ing of his petition, he may establish by two wit¬ 
nesses the time of his residence within the State, 
provided it has been for more than one year. 
The remaining portion of his five years’ residence 
in the United States may be proved, if he cannot 
produce witnesses who have personal knowledge 
of such residence, by the depositions of two or 
more witnesses (citizens) in the other State or 
States in which he formerly resided. To pro¬ 
cure these depositions, the petitioner must fur¬ 
nish the names and addresses of such witnesses 
19 


to the United States District Attorney for the 
district in which they live (whose name and ad¬ 
dress will be furnished by the Naturalization 
Clerk), and request him to set a time and place 
for taking their testimony in support of the peti¬ 
tion for naturalization. Notice must then be 
given the Commissioner of Naturalization at 
Washington of the time and place fixed, as well 
as the names and addresses of the witnesses. 
Costs 

The cost for filing Declaration of Intention or 
“first papers,” is One Dollar; and for the Petition 
for Naturalization, or “second papers,” Four 
Dollars, which includes also the Certificate of 
Naturalization. The amounts stated must be 
handed to the clerk at the time of filing the 
papers. 

Exceptions to the General 
Naturalization Laws 

The exceptions to the general laws of natural¬ 
ization requiring first and second papers and five 
years’ residence are as follows: 

Any alien who declares his intention to be¬ 
come a citizen, and thereafter serves three years 
on a merchant vessel of the United States, may, 
upon the production of his certificate of dis¬ 
charge and good conduct during that time, be 
naturalized by a competent court without fulfill¬ 
ing the requirement of five years’ residence. 

Any alien, twenty-one years of age or more, 
who has served in the Regular or Volunteer 
forces of the United States Army, and has been 
honorably discharged therefrom, may be ad- 
20 


mitted to citizenship upon his petition, without 
having filed any previous declaration; and he 
shall not be required to prove more than one 
years residence in the United States previous to 
his application to become a citizen. 

Any alien, twenty-one years of age or more, 
who has served one enlistment of not less than 
four years in the United States Navy or Marine 
Corps, or who has completed four years in the 
Revenue-Cutter Service, or has completed four 
years of honorable service in the naval auxiliary 
service, and has received an honorable discharge 
from any of such services, or an ordinary dis¬ 
charge with recommendation for re-enlistment, 
may be admitted to citizenship upon his petition 
without any previous declaration, and without 
proof of residence upon shore. 

Aliens Who Erroneously Believe 
Themselves Citizens 

It some times happens that an alien qualified 
for citizenship may, because of misinformation in 
regard to the law governing naturalization, or 
other reasons, labor under the impression that he 
is a citizen, and has in good faith exercised the 
rights or duties of a citizen because of such 
wrongful information and belief. 

If such a person makes application to a com¬ 
petent court, and if the court in its judgment be¬ 
lieves that he has been for a period of more than 
five years entitled, upon proper proceedings, to 
be naturalized, it may issue a Certificate of Nat¬ 
uralization without requiring proof of a former 
declaration of intention to become a citizen* Such 
21 


applicant is required, however, to comply in all 
other respects with the law relative to the issu¬ 
ance of final papers. 

Lost or Mislaid Papers 

An alien who has filed his declaration of in¬ 
tention, or a naturalized citizen who has received 
his certificate of naturalization, may, in the event 
of losing or mislaying his papers, upon applica¬ 
tion to the court which issued such papers, pro¬ 
cure a certified copy of the lost paper. An affi¬ 
davit is required and there is a nominal cost for 
issuing the copy. 

Citizenship of Women and Children 

The privilege of naturalization in the United 
States is accorded to alien white women and 
women of African descent or African nativity, 
as wiell as to men, and the procedure to be fol¬ 
lowed in attaining citizenship is the same in re¬ 
spect to both sexes. 

Any alien woman, however, who marries a 
naturalized or native-born citizen of the United 
States, and who is herself eligible for natural¬ 
ization, shall be deemed a citizen without compli¬ 
ance with any naturalization laws or regulations. 
Upon the termination of the marital relation, she 
shall be assumed to retain her American citizen¬ 
ship so long as she continues to reside in the 
United States, unless she makes a formal renun¬ 
ciation thereof before a court possessing juris¬ 
diction to naturalize aliens. 

An American woman who marries a foreigner 
takes the nationality of her husband; but at the 
22 


termination of the marital relation she resumes 
her American citizenship as long as she con¬ 
tinues a resident of the United States. 

The children of aliens who have been duly 
naturalized in this country, whether such chil¬ 
dren are born within or without the United 
States, become citizens of the United States by 
such naturalization, provided they reside in the 
United States and are under the age of twenty- 
one years at the time of the naturalization of 
their parents. 

All children born out of the limits and juris¬ 
diction of the United States, whose fathers were 
citizens thereof at the time of their birth, are 
declared to be citizens of the United States. 

Expatriation 

Any American citizen shall be deemed to have 
expatriated himself when he has been naturalized 
in any foreign state in conformity with its laws, 
or when he has taken an oath of allegiance to 
any foreign state. 

A naturalized citizen of the United States who 
has resided for two years in the foreign state of 
his origin, or for five years in any other foreign 
state, is presumed to be no longer an American 
citizen. This loss of citizenship may be over¬ 
come on the presentation of satisfactory evidence 
to a diplomatic or consular officer of the United 
States under certain rules and regulations pre¬ 
scribed by the Department of State. 

While the United States is at war, however, 
no American citizen shall be allowed to expatri¬ 
ate himself. 


23 


Appendix 


PACTS POIt DECLARATION OF INTENTION 

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
Naturalization Service 

NOTE.—A copy of this form should be fur¬ 
nished by the clerk of the court to each applicant for 
a declaration of intention, so that he can at his 
leisure fill in the answers to the questions. After be¬ 
ing- filled out the form is to be returned to the clerk, 
to be used by him in properly filling out the declara¬ 
tion. If the applicant landed on or after June 29, 
1906, his declaration should not be filed until the 
name of the vessel is definitely given (or the name 
of the railroad and border port in the United States 
through which the alien entered), as well as the 
d3dG of arrival 

TO THE APPLICANT.—The fee of one dollar must 
be paid to the clerk of the court before he commences 
to fill out the declaration of intention. No fee is 
chargeable for this blank. 

My name is. Age:.years. 

(Alien should state here his true, original, and cor¬ 
rect name in full.) (Give age at last birthday.) 

Also known as. 

(If alien has used any other name in this country, 
that name should be shown on line immediately 
above.) 

Occupation: . 

Color: . Complexion: . 

Height:.feet .inches. Weight: .pounds. 

Color of hair:. Color of eyes:. 

Other visible distinctive marks:. 

(If no visible distinctive marks, so state.) 
Where born: .... (City or town.) (Country.) 

Date of birth:.(Month.!) (Day.) (Year.) 

Present residence: ... 

(Number and street.) (City or town.) (State, territory, 
or district.) 

Emigrated from:. 

(Place where alien got on ship or train to come to 
the United States.) (Country.) 

Name of vessel:. 

(If the alien arrived otherwise than by vessel, the 
character of conveyance or name of transportation 
company should be given.) 

Last place of foreign residence:.. . 

(City or town.) (Country.) 

I am... .married; the name of my wife is.; she 

was born at.; and now resides at. 

I am now a subject of and intend to renounce allegi¬ 
ance to . 

(Write name and title of sovereign and country of 
which now a subject; or if a citizen of a Republic, 
write name of Republic only.) 

Port of arrival:. 

(City or town.) (State or Territory.) 
Date of arrival in United States:..... 

(Month.) (Day.) (Year.) 

25 



























request for certificate of arrival 

For use of aliens arriving after June 29, 1906 
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
Naturalization Service 
Notice to the Clerk of the Court: 

This form is to be used only where an alien arrived 
in this country after June 29, 1906. 

When an alien desires to petition for naturalization, 
this form should be given to him before he is per¬ 
mitted to file his petition, and the execution of the 
petition for naturalization should not be commenced 
until the certificate of arrival is received by the clerk 
of the court. The alien should be directed to complete 
the letter below and carefully fill in all the blanks in 
this form, as the information is necessary to obtain 
the certificate of arrival, and will aid the clerk of the 
court in filing the petition for naturalization. The 
alien should then mail this form to the Commissioner 
of Naturalization, Department of Labor, Washington, 
D. C. 

That official will at once take steps to obtain and 
forward to the clerk of court the certificate of arrival 
required by section 4 of the act of June 29, 1906, 
to be attached to and made a pai*t of the petition at 
the time of its filing. The statement of facts will also 
be forwarded to the clerk of the court. Notice will 
also be given to the alien that the certificate has been 
sent to the clerk of the court named by him. 


Commissioner of Naturalization. 

U. S. Department of Labor, 

Washington, D. C. 

Sir: I came to this country after June 29, 1906. 
Please obtain a certificate showing my arrival in the 
United States and forward it to the Clerk of the. 


(Give on these two lines title of court, and city or 
town, and county and State where court is located in 
which the petition will be filed.) 

for filing as the law requires, with the petition for 
naturalization which I intend to file in that court. 

In the accompanying statement I have given the 
date I landed and the place of my arrival and shown 
the facts which will go in my petition for naturaliza¬ 
tion when it is filed. 

Respectfully, 


(Sign name in full.) 


(Give address here.) 

NOTE TO THE APPLICANT FOR NATURALI¬ 
ZATION. Please send your declaration of intention 
to the Bureau of Naturalization, with this applica¬ 
tion. It will be filed with the clerk of the court for 
you at the time the certificate of your arrival is 
sent to him. 

26 








U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
Naturalization Service 

FACTS FOR PETITION FOR NATURALIZATION 

My name is. 

(Alien should state here his true, original, 
and correct name in full.) 

Also known as. 

(If alien has used any other name in 
this country, that name should be 
shown on line immediately above.) 

1. My place of residence is. 

(Number and name of street.) (City or town.) 


••••••••••••••••••••> . 

(County.) (State, territory, or district.) 

2. My present occupation is. 

3. I was born on the. .day of. .. ., 18. ., at. 

(City or town.) 

.. and my last foreign residence was 

(Country.) 

. (City or town.) (Country.) 

4. I emigrated to the United States from. 

(Place where alien got on ship or train to come to 
the United States.) 

.on or about the...day of.. 19.., 


(Country.) 

and arrived at the port of.. on the.. 

(Port of arrival.) (State.) 

day of. . . ., 19. ., on the vessel.of the. . .Line, 

by first cabin... ., second cabin...., steerage... 
(If the alien arrived otherwise than by vessel, 
the character of conveyance or name of trans¬ 
portation company should be given.) 
at which time my height was.... feet. ... inches; 

complexion, .; color of hair, .; 

color of eyes, ...; occupation, . ..; destined to. .., 
..(City or town). and accompanied 


by .(State.) 

destined to . 

(Person or persons to whom destined.) 
(If the alien came under some other name than 
his own name, the name used on the steamship 
must be given here, or the record of arrival can¬ 
not be found.) 

(If the alien arrived as a stowaway or desert¬ 
ing seaman, or in any other manner than as a 
passenger, please so state.) 

5. I declared my intention to become a citizen of the 

United States on the.day of.19..., 

at.in the.Court of. 

(Location of Court) 

6. I am... .married. My wife’s name is. 

Petitioner, if a widower, should give the 
name of his wife when living, and state place of 
her birth, and fact of her death; if not married, 
he should enter “not” in first sentence.) 

She was born in.. and now resides at 


2 , 





























., .. (City or town.) (Country.) 

(Number and street.) (City or town.) (Country.) 

I have.children, and the name , date and 

place of birth, and place of residence of 
each of said children is as follows: 

. born. . day of. ., 1. at....; resides at.... 

. born, .day of. ., 1. ., at. .. .; resides at. .. . 

7. I now owe allegiance to. 

(Name of sovereign and country of which alien is 

now a subject.) 

8. I am able to speak the English language. 

9. I have resided continuously in the United States 

since the....day of. 19.... and in the 

Territory of 

State.since the....day of.19.... 

District 

10. I have.heretofore made petition for United 

States citizenship. 

(If petitioner has heretofore made application 
for citizenship, the facts required should be fully 
stated in the following blanks:) 

I previously petitioned for citizenship to the 

.Court, at 

(City or town.) (State, territory, or District.) 

on the. ...day of.. 1.which was 

denied for the following reason: 


The cause of such denial has since been cured or 
removed. 

Give names, occupations, and residence addresses of 
two witnesses, citizens of the United States, who have 
known you for at least five years, last past, as a resi¬ 
dent of the State in which petition is made, who will 
make affidavit that you are a person of good moral 
character, that you are qualified in every way to be 
admitted a citizen of the United States, and who will 
appear with you before the clerk when petition is filed 
and also be present at the hearing of the petition by 
the court. 

If you have resided in the State in which petition is 
made for at least one year, last past, but less than five 
years, the two witnesses must verify the entire period 
of residence within said State, and the remaining por¬ 
tion of the five years’ residence in some other State 
must be shown at the hearing by the testimony of 
the same or other witnesses appearing in person, or 
by depositions taken under section 10 of the naturali¬ 
zation act of June 29, 1906. The required form for 
notice to take depositions may be obtained from the 
clerk of court when petition is filed. 

.. • •> .. . .. 

(Name.) (Occupation.) (Residence address.) 

(Name.) (Occupation.) (Residence address.) 

My Declaration of Intention to become a Citizen of 
the United States is sent this application. 
















U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
Naturalization Service 

Note Particularly—For use of Aliens who arrived 
BEFORE June 29. 1906. 

FACTS FOR PETITION FOR NATURALIZATION 

Clerk of court and applicant should read these in¬ 
structions carefully. 

Clerks of courts should refuse to execute petitions 
for aliens who arrived in the United States after June 
29, 1906, until certificate of arrival is furnished the 
clerk by the Bureau of Naturalization, after request 
of the alien on Form 2226. (See rule 5 of the Regula¬ 
tions.) 

A copy of this form (2214) should be furnished by 
the clerk of court to each applicant for a petition for 
naturalization who arrived in this country on or be¬ 
fore June 29, 1906, so that he can at his leisure fill in 
the answers to the questions. 

The clerk of the court must collect the fee of $4 
before he commences to fill out the petition. 

No fee is chargeable for this blank or for the execu¬ 
tion thereof by the clerk or deputy clerk. 

After being filled out, the form is to be returned to 
the clerk, to be used by him in properly filling out the 
petition. 

Witnesses must be citizens of the United States. If 
any witness is a naturalized citizen, he must take his 
certificate of citizenship, or so-called second paper, to 
the court when the petition is filed, and also when it is 
heard by the court. 

My name is. 

(Alien should state here his true, original and cor¬ 
rect name in full.) 

Also known as. 

(If alien has used any other name in this country, 
that name should be shown on line immediately above.) 

1. My place of residence is.. . 

(Number and name of street.) (City or town.) 

(County.) (State, Territory, or District.) 

2. My present occupation is. 

3. I was born on the.day of.18 , 

at . 

(City or town.) (Country.) 

4. I emigrated to the United States from. 

(Place where alien got on ship or train to 
come to the United States.) 

. on or about the.day 

(Country) 

of. 1 , and arrived in the United 

States at the port of. 

(Port of arrival.) (State.) 

29 
















on the. .day of.1 , on the vessel. 

(If the alien arrived otherwise than by vessel, 
the character of conveyance or name or trans¬ 
portation company should be given.) 

5. I declared my intention No.to become a citizen 

of the United States on the....day of. 

1 , at.. in the.Court of. 

(Location of court.) 
in the name entered above. 


(If the declaration does not bear true name of 
alien as entered above, please show on the above 
line the name in which first paper was made.) 

6. I am... .married. My wife’s name is. 

(Petitioner, if a widower, should give the 
name of his wife when living, and state place of 
her birth and fact of her death; if not married, 
he should enter “not” in first sentence.) 

She was born in.. . 

(City or town.) (Country.) 

on the. . . .day of.,18 , and now resides 

.••••••••> ••••••••••••••» .. 

(Number and street.) (City or town.) (State 
or country.) 

I have.children, and the name , date and 

place of birth, and place of residence of 
each of said children is as follows: 


., born. 

.day of. ., 1.. 

,, at. .. 

.; resides at 

., born. 

.day of. ., 1. . 

., at. .. 

.; resides at 

., born. 

.day of. ., 1. . 

, at... 

.; resides at 


7. I now owe allegiance to. 

(Name of sovereign and country of which 
alien is now a subject.) 

8. I am.able to speak the English language. 

9. I have resided continuously in the United States 

since the....day of.. 19.... and in the 

State 

Territory of.since the ..day of...., 1.... 

District 

10. I have.heretofore made petition for United 

States citizenship. 

(If petitioner has heretofore made application 
for citizenship, the facts required should be fully 
stated in the following blanks:) 

I previously petitioned for citizenship to the 
...Court, at 


(City or town.) (State, territory, or District.) 

on the....day of. 1...., which was 

denied for the following reason: 

The cause of such denial has since been cured or 
removed. 


30 



























Give names, occupations, and residence addresses of 
two witnesses, citizens of the United States, who have 
known you for at least five years, last past, as a resi¬ 
dent of the State in which petition is made, who will 
make affidavit that you are a person of good moral 
character, that you are qualified in every way to be 
admitted a citizen of the United States, and who will 
appear with you before the clerk when petition is filed 
and also be present at the hearing of the petition by 
the court. 

If you have resided in the State in which petition is 
made at least one year, last past, but less than five 
years, the two witnesses must verify the entire period 
of residence within said State, and the remaining por¬ 
tion of the five years’ residence in some other State 
must be established at the hearing by the testimony of 
the same or other witnesses appearing in person, or 
by depositions taken under section 10 of the naturali¬ 
zation act of June 29, 1906. The required form for 
notice to take depositions may be obtained from the 
clerk of court v/hen petition is filed. 

(Name.) (Occupation.) (Residence address.) 

(Name.) (Occupation.)’ (Residence address.) 

Each of the above-named witnesses has known me 
at least.years 

I herewith present my Declaration of Intention to 
become a citizen of the United States. 


Oath of Allegiance 

I,. (name of applicant).hereby 

declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely 
renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to 
any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sover¬ 
eignty, and particularly to.(name of sov¬ 
ereign), the. (title).... of . 

(sovereignty),of whom I have heretofore been a 
subject; that I will support and defend the Con¬ 
stitution and laws of the United States of Amer¬ 
ica against all enemies, foreign and domestic; 
and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to 
the same. 


i 


31 











No. 


THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

CERTIFICATE OF NATURALIZATION 

Petition, Volume.. Number. 

Description of Holder: Age: .years; height: 

.feet .inches; color:. com¬ 
plexion.; color of eyes.; color of 

hair .; visible distinguishing marks. 


Name, age and place of residence of wife. 

. Names, ages and places of residence of 

minor children. 


STATE OF.. 
COUNTY OF 


SS: . 

(Signature of holder) 


BE IT REMEMBERED, that. 

then residing at number. Street, City of 

State 

.Territory of.. who prev- 

District 

ious to his (or her) naturalization was a citizen (or 

subject) of.having applied to 

be admitted a citizen of the United States of America 

pursuant to law, and, at a. 

term of the.Court of. 

held at..on the. 

day of.in the year of our Lord 

nineteen hundred and.the court 

having found that the petitioner had resided continu¬ 
ously within the United States for at least five years 
and in this State for at least one year immediately 
Territory 
District 

preceding the date of the filing of his petition, and 

her 

that said petitioner intends to reside permanently In 
the United States, had in all respects complied with 
the law in relation thereto, and that ..he was entitled 
to be so admitted, it was thereupon ordered by the 
said court that ..he be admitted as a citizen of the 
United States of America. 


IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF the seal of said court 

is hereunto affixed on the.day of 

.. in the year of our Lord 

nineteen hundred and.and of our 

Independence the one hundred and. 


(Official character of attestor.) 

32 











































, 


- v ■» , 


Prnn u| 

Bradley Bros., 200 So. 10th Street 


